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July 21 1 925." v 1,546,832

M. E. GQTES METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRESSING PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO MOLDS Filed den. a, 1923 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 Gheeis-Sheec. 2

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Al H M. E. GATES OF AND MACHINE FOR PRESSING PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO MOLDS Filed Dec. 8, 1925 July 21 v 1925'.

July 21 1925;

' M. E. GATES METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR rnnssma PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO MOLDS Filed Dec; 8, 1925 s Shets Sheet s l fivenzf @727 @533, a@%

5 V 5 w W M M Pl 7 W 0 7 July 21 1925.

M,'E. GATES METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRESSING PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO MOLDS July 21 1925.

I M. E. GATES METHOD OF AND MACHINE FOR PRESSING PLASTIQ MATERIAL INTO MOLDS r, 5 m m 6 m M a 7 m I I a m MK u fi I II IIIIIIIIII II III I HI I I I I Filed Dec. 8, 1923 I 1 1 1 I 1 1 1 1 I 1/ 'gQzzw.

Patented July 21, 1225.,

TEA-1'03) E. GATES, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS).

METHOD OF AND MACE-ENE F012, PEESSING- PLASTIC MATERIAL INTO MOLDS.

Application filed December To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, MAJOR E. Games, a citizen of the United States, residing; at Chicago, in the county of Cool: and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful limprovements in lllethods or and Machines for l "i:essin, g Plastic Material into Molds. oi. which the following is specification.

This invention relates to machines tor pressing plastic material into molds and is particularly adapted to he used for pressing clay into molds such as are used for making terra cotta blocks.

The invention is fully described in the following); specification and shown in the accompanviiur drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section of the machine;

Figs. 2 and 3 are horizontal sections on the lines 2 and 3 of Fig. 1;

41 is an enlarged vertical section on the line 4 of 3;

Fig". 5 is a continuation of Fig. line 5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is an enlarged vertical section of one of the quick opening valves shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is an enlarged vertical section through the releasing valve and plate diaphragm; and

Fig.2. 8 is a 8 of Fig. 7.

The embodiment illustrated comprises a frame 108 supported upon standards 109. This frame has a hollow chamber 110 as shown in 5 beneath which is suspended a block 111 by means of rods 11.2. The block 111 carries a cylinder 1.13 1) in which is slidably mounted a hydraulic plunger 11% the upper end of which carries a platen 115 which is adapted to slide into and completely closethe lower part oi the chamber 110 as shown in Fig. 5 when the plunger 11.4 is raised.

The upper portion of the frame 108 is enclosed within a hollow drum 1.16 which is secured to the frame 108 by means of bolts or rivets 117. The top of the chamber 110 is covered by a valve head 118 which is secured thereon by means of bolts 119. This valve head is provided with a series of openings 120 which are normally closed by means of valves 121 each of which is carried hy a hollow stem 122 the upper end of 1 on the horizontal section on the line 3, 1923. $eria1 NO. 619,348.

which is secured to a plate diaphragm 123 which is snugly but slidahly fitted-within the shallow cylinder 12 1. This is supported ahove the frame 108 by means oi. rods 1.25.

'lhe shell 1.16 is maintained under a pres sure of "75 lbs. per square inch or more by means of pump 126 which preferably has an intake pipe 126 leading: to the chamher 110. Above the shallow cylinder 1241 s located a valve housing); 12':- having a chamher 128 which communi ates with the space above the dia 'ihrapgm 123 by means ot' pacsages 129 (Fig. 7). The housing" 128 also has a cylinder 130 in which is slidably mounted a piston valve 131, the upper end of which carries a gasket 131 and is adapted to close the pipe 132 when the valve is raised. shown in Fi 7. The cylinder 130 communicates through the pipe 133 with a three-way valve 134:. T his valve also communicates with the ti'nosphere through the opening and with the drum 116 through the pipe 136., in l well known manner.

Referring to Fin; 6. the valve 121 is provided with a rubher seat 1.37, which is held in place by a nut 137. the valve 121 being; adiustahle up and down on the hollow stem 122 and heino; locked in adiusted position by means oi a lockino; screw 13? which may be reached from the hott .n oi the cham 'ier 110 when the platen 115 is lowered. Guides 139 provide which slide within the openino s120 insu e the valve returnini: to its proper seat when raised.

The drum 116 communicates thi'oue'h a pipe 140 with a three-way valve 141 which communicates with. the atmosphere throuah the pipe 142 and to the reservoir 143 throuch the pipe 14- 1 and eommunicatincf with the cylinder 113 through the pipe in which is iiilaced a quiclr acting valve 146.

' The operation 01 the device as follows: A mold C such as is commonly used in making; terra cotta blocks. having); a plastic material such clay roughly placed therein is placed upon the platen 115 while in a lowered position shown in Fig. 1. The valve 146 is then opened and at the same time air from the drum 116 is admitted to the top of the reservoir 143 which is partly filled with a suitable liquid as water or oil so that this liquid is forced down into the bottom part of the cylinder 1.13 thereby lift same time the valve 141 is also turned to closed position.

The valve 134 is now turned so as to permit the pipe 133 to communicate with the atmosphere through the pipe 135 thereby releasing; the pressure within the controlling evlinder 130, This pressure which is mamtained therein by leakage from the main drum maintains the valve 1531 upon its seat. hen the pressure in the cylinder 130 is thus reduced to atmospheric pressure the pressure within the chamber upon the top of the valve 131 is su'l'licien, together with the weight of the valve to cause this valve to drop. As it does so the air above the diaphragm 123 within the shell cylinder 124: which is a the same pressure as the drum 116, rushes out through. the passage 129, and the pipe to the atmosphere, thereby causing the pressure within the drum 116 to suddenly lift the diaphragm 123, thus lifting all of the valves 121 and permitting air from the drum 'l16to rush through the openings 120 into the chamber 110. (living; to the great suddennes -i with which these valves are raised and the number at valves employed, the pressi'ire within the chamber 11d is raised to that within the drum 116 in a very small traction of a second, so that the clay, which has previously been placed in the mold in rolled sheets cut approximately to fit the interior of: the mold, will. be pressed firmly and unitorn'ily into conformity with the interior contour of the mold.

The diaphragm 123 raises to suddenly that it is necessary to provide some means for stopping it For this purpose buttons 1 17 are placed on the diaphragm 123 beneath the openings 129 so that as the dimnlnragm 123 rises these buttons will enter the pas sages 129 and will trap some of the air above the diaphragm 123 thereby providing a cushioning; means for stopping it.

To lower the valves 121 to seating; position, the valve 134 is turned so as to cause the drum 116 to communicate through the pipe 136 and 183 with the cylinder 130. This pressure lifts the valve 131 to the closed position as shown in Fig. 7, the leakagemainta ining' it in this position although the valve 13-1 is again closed. Closing this valve permits pressure to build up rapidly in the shallow cylinder 12% above the diaphragm 123, thereby permitting the valves 121 to return to their seats. The locking valve 146 is slowly opened and the three-way valve 141 is turned so as to permit the pipe 144: to communicate with the atmosphere through the pipe 142. The platen 115 new sinks by grzwity to the position shown in Fig. 1. The mold (l is then removed and a new mold placed on the platen when the cycle of op oration is repeated lly using the pump 126 to partially e2;-

ten 115 is raised and innnediately.before f-eous pressure is applied, a much greater pressure differential is obtained within the chamber and the proportion of final pressure to the initial pressure is greatly increased. 1

l i hile l have shown and described but a single en'ibodiincnt of my invention, it is to be underristood'that it is capable of: many mod ications. Changes, therefore, in the J struction and arr re-meat may be made without departing from the spirit and scope o the in ition as disclosed in the appended claims, in which it is my intention to claim all novelty inherent in the inventioi'i as broadly as rmssible in view of the prior art.

ll hat I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The method of" pressing plastic material into a mold consisting: of placing the plastic material. into a mold placing said mold and plastic material in a confined space and suddenly admittingint said eonlincd space a gas under high pressure so as to causethe plastic material to be pressed into conformance with the contour of said mold.

2. llhe method of pressing; plastic material into a mold consisting" oi placing: the plastic material into a mold, placing: said mold and plastic material in a confined space and subj ecting' said mold and material therein to a suddenly app ed gaseous pressure risinguniformly from atmospheric pressure or less to a point well above atmos pheric pressure to cause said material to be pressed into the mold.

3. A machine For pressing plastic mate rial into a mold containing the plastic material to be acted. upon, said machine comprising means For subjecting the plastic material in the mold to suddenly and directly applied gaseous pressure rising uniformly from atmospheric pressure or less to a point well above atmospheric pressure to force the plastic material into conformance with the interior contour of saidmold.

4. A machine for pressing: plastic material iuto molds comprising; a chamber having an opening for the insertion oi the mold, means for closing said opening, said means serving also to carry said mold, and means for subjecting' the plastic material and mold to a suddenly directly applied gaseous pressure to force the plastic material into the mold.

5. A machine for pressing plastic mate rial into molds comprising a chaml /r having an opening For the insertion of the mold, means for closing; said op a reservoir under gas pressure communicating with said chamver through a plurality oi? passages, valves tor closing; said passages, and means for suddenly opening: said valves for subiectine' the plastic n'iateiial and mold to (1 si'zddenly directly gaseous pressure to force the plastic materia into the mold.

6. machine for pressing" plastic mate rial into molds comprising; a chamber having an opening; for the insertion of the mold, means tor closing: said open-inn. said n'ieans serving also to carry said. mold. a reservoir under ens pressure eon'unnnicatinp; with said. chamber through a plurality of passages, valves for closingsaid passages, and means tor suddenlv opening; said valves for subjecting the plastic material and mold to a suddenly directly applied gaseous pressure to force the plastic material into the mold.

in A machine. for pressing plastic material. into moles eompi'sino' a ch mber havinn; a l .o of the mold, means for closing" sa d opening, a reservoir under ens pressure commnnicatinr with said chamber through a plurality of passages, valves for closing said passages, and means operable by the pressure within said reservoir for suddenly opening said valves for subjecting; the plastic material and mold to a suddenly directly applied gaseous pressure to force the plastic material. into the mold.

8. A machine tor pressing plastic mate rial into molds comprising a chamber havingan opening for the in sertion of the mold, means for closingsaid opening, a reservoir under pressure co nn'iunicatinsi with said chamber through a plurality of passages, valves for closing said passages, plate above said valves and attached thereto, a cylinder surrounding said plate, said cylinder tilt and plate lying Within said reservoir, and

ieans for varying; the pressure Within said cylinder for suddenly lilting said valves thereby subjecting; the plastic material and mold to a sudden direcily applied gaseous pressure to force the plastic material into the mold,

9. A machine for pressing plastic material into molds coinin'ising chamber havinn an opening; for insertion of the mold, means tor closi said opening, a .servoir under gas pressi is communicating with said ehamb r through a plurality of prssages, valves for closing; said passages, a plate above said valves and attached thereto, a cylinder surrounding said plate. said cylinder and plate lyinQ Within said reservoir, a passage connecting: said cylinder to the atmosphere, and a valve Within said passae'e for opening communication between said cylinder and atmosphere to permit the pressure Within said reservoir to lift said plate and valves thereby subjecting the plastic material and mol l. to a suddenly directly applied gaseous pressure to force the plastic material into the mold.

10. The method of pressing plastic mate rial into a mold consisting}: of placing; the plastic n'iat-erial into a mold, placing said. mold and plastic material in a confined space, lower-inc the air pressure in said confined snare, an d suddenly admitting; into said conlined space a as under high pressure so as to cause the plastic material to be pressed into contormance with the contour of said mold.

11. machine for pressing plastic material into a mold containing; the plastic material 'to be acted upon, said machine comprising means for lowering the pressure upon the plastic material, and means for subjectine; the plastic material in the mold to sud- (lent and directly applied gaseous pressure to force the plastic material into contormonce with the interior contour of said mold.

MAJOR E. GATEFa. 

